Describe your production process...

[JHouse]

I'd really like to know how many of you produce beats and tracks, along with their respective processes. I've constructed nice beats with FL back in the day, as well as with an MPC 500 several years ago, but never developed tracks with my own shit, just from existing loops using Acid or Cool Edit Pro.

 

So yeah, please tell me how you create.

 

 

[Guest Symatic]

phase 1: collect samples

phase 2: ???????

phase 3: profit!

[Guest broke]

phase 1: collect samples

phase 2: ???????

phase 3: profit!

I'm all over phase 1

[danswift]

I use a very basic set up of just Roland sp 404 and a mini disc recorder to make my own stuff with (i also have an Akai S2000 rackmount sampler on the way to add to my set up now )and ive kind of hit upon a formula of playing everything live on the sampler pads in an almost jam band style

 

I like to use long extended drum grooves, played by real drummers (no drum machine sounds for me) with lots of variation in the pattern(i absolutely insist on having drum rolls!) and i'll then build the track around the drumbreak

 

I try to avoid sampling loops of other peoples music and prefer to create my own loops from single shots and isolated phrases and I tend to use resampling a hell of a lot to combine multiple sounds together in order to do that

 

Because I have zero interest in using a computer to make music with ive found a way to do things in my own (hopefully) unique way which would probably baffle most people but it seems to work ok for me

 

I dont even multi track things anymore like ive done in the past and now i do it all 'one take' while constantly recording until im happy with the arrangement and then im finished

 

Its a very basic set up like i say but i really enjoy the challenge of trying to think beyond the limitations it presents from working in that particular way..

 

the only extra things i would really like would be a couple of nice synths, something like a DSI Prophet 08 and maybe an old school Roland Jupiter or a Juno.

[Mutis Mayfield]

Actually I have different workflows (yesterday garageband for iOS was updated with Alchemy...) but for pure production I'm using Blocswave app with purchased libraries mixed with my own samples. Blocs let me sample from other apps (synths or audio manglers) chop and rearrange... so I record like Dan one-try shots and keep things the most simple as I can. For multitrack and mix garageband could do most than my needs... and for live gigging I have launchpad app (like Ableton session view), GroupTheLoop (live looping tool with scenes and paylist structured like song parts) or djplayer pro/dj apps for A>B session (maybe I dig into Stems but I try to avoid desktop/laptop since these are past for me now)

 

With the yesterday update garageband is near perfection for my workflow.

[Guest petesasqwax]

Damn, this is a tricky question to answer with any degree of brevity so apologies in advance if I go on a bit.

I have a few different methods of working depending on how I'm feeling or what I'm working with, so I'll try to detail a few of them. Obviously, I don't draw lines between them so my most frequently employed work flow template is a mix of all of them. Also, whilst I do use other things, I'll just talk about Ableton, as the other options will just confuse the issue.

 

1. In the box A - samples

 

If I'm working purely on samples I'll gather all my source material and chop it up in Sound Forge then dump it all into a folder and fire up Ableton. If I'm working from a specific melodic sample - for example, for the beat battles - I'll put that in first, make a 4 bar section of it that loops, then build drums around that. Once I have drums which sit well with the basic feel of the sample I'll start chopping the sample up, pitching it and effecting it. I like to use the sample as much as possible so I'll filter it and drop it an octave to get a bass line out of it (Large Professor style) and I might also pitch it up an octave to get some high end elements (usually I'll just chop a note at that level and run it through a delay otherwise it sounds horrific in a chimpunk instrument style). Once I'm happy with that I'll add other elements, start effecting things and often resample the chopped up loops I've made, import them back in and chop and effect them all over again. In my mind I call this the fold-in method. I have no idea why I feel the need to call it anything - in my mind or otherwise.

 

2. In the box 2 - virtual instruments

 

If I'm building things from software instruments I'll open up Ableton and start with either one of the Abbey Road drums kits or a kit I've made in Battery and I'll play around until I have a beat that I like. Once I've got that I'll bring in soft synths on top and quite often I'll bounce things down in order to use them as audio. A lot of the soft synth stuff sounds better to my ears if I render it as a sample and then pitch it down rather than playing it on a lower octave. It adds more filth that way. Also I'm used to working with a relatively shitty computer so having lots of instances of a soft synth will shaft my PC, whereas using a multitude of samples doesn't. Finally, the bounce-down method also means that I don't have to be paranoid about changing or losing synth settings because I have a "digital hard copy" (as it were) of the stuff I created with that soft synth. I was going to say "once I have things I like I start to add effects" but that's actually bullshit - with virtual stuff I add in effects whilst I looking for the right sound because 90% of the time I really don't like the sound of the soft synth until I've started running it through effects

3. Outside the box

 

If I'm working with hardware synths and effects pedals - or if I working straight off turntables - I create a basic guide track (literally a kick one the 1, hat on 2 and 4 and snare on the 3) and then I'll record in channel by channel. Often I'll do long takes and chop out sections I like, then build on to that. I generally don't have a completely fixed idea of what I'm going to do when I press the red button so it helps to just audition things as I go and then, when I get something I like, I go for 4 bars or whatever. When I first started out I would accept a patchy take and then try to edit it together through chops etc. Not recommended - just take a few more takes and get it right on the way in, as I learned before too long.

[Dan]

It all depends, there so many different ways of doing things with my set up, the jump off points are on of the following:

 

Browse samples from my collection (17 years worth of crap!)

Flick thru some synth presets

Step sequence a beat

Sequence a sample / synth (I bloody love the ML-185!)

Hear a song I want to sample

 

Do I want to use Ableton or Maschine or both together? or just my iPad?

 

From that point it can go in many many different directions, I never have a style in mind when I start I just see where it take me, some times it's utter shit!

 

One thing I like to do is get someone to give me some random tracks then try and make something use just them in a time limit. For example:

 

My girlfriend is going away Friday afternoon for the weekend with 3 friends, they will each pick one track with the rules that it's pre 2000, each one is a different genre, and it's on youtube or spotify. I then have till Monday Night (when they get back) to have a made a beat/track using just those 4 songs and nothing else.

[Phology]

Fairly simple for me I guess: go record diggin, come home put the kettle on, listen and sample records, hopefully find some dope sounds!

 

In terms of actual production processes I've always been computer and file based. I did try and fucks with multi-tracking live instruments but it's not my comfort zone at all. I would love to include more live elements to my work but never found the perfect set-up to make it all happen.

 

I use Reason along with an Akai MPK25 keyboard, and editing samples in Audition and ReCycle. I usually start with drum patterns first. That way I can find the rhythm of the piece (unless I can come up with a decent hook) and keep building upon it with extra percussion layers, bass, etc.... I try and use different tempos and time signatures for every track, so I don't get bored just doing 4/4 all the time. (6/4 is the best ). My sample library has grown a lot over the years, lots of different sources of sounds.

 

It also depends what kind of mood I'm in and what music I've been listening to at the time. If I'm listening to someone like Madlib I'll usually make a straight up hip-hop beat, and the same is true for other styles of music.

[Guest Symatic]

have you seen the new Nozl production vids?

 

 

[JHouse]

Yes I have Symatic, that's what prompted the thread...I wanted to learn various beat production methods. And damn, I received all gems, thanks guys.

 

My goal, on most projects, is to create most of it live. Even though I'm very comfortable with computers, I just don't have the patience to whittle a beat with software anymore (chopping and multi-tracking is fine though). I've considered getting a loop pedal and constructing tracks in real-time like Lamont does with his FCB1010 loop pedal and Ableton, although I'm hesitant to purchase Behringer products.

 

I'm very open to other production methods, and ideally, want to get a MPC 2500 or Maschine, then make a loop from individual kicks, snares, hi-hats and miscellaneous unsaturated sounds I've been collecting for a minute. Subsequently import said beat into Ableton and add individual layers from there, along with subtle effects. Regurgitating self-constructed loops, like Pete mentioned, is a lovely idea. I like that filth too!

 

In any case, I want to explore various production processes and keep it fresh and fun, whilst learning constant new shit. I still want to focus on certain creative processes for awhile though in efforts of getting them down, thus not spreading my attention too thin. At least, initially.

 

Anyways, thanks again guys for the quality info. Sincerely much appreciated.

 

Peace.

[Mutis Mayfield]

Check the new mpclive or the old sp555 (until Roland release something tomorrow or saturday...) to chop/slice and live loop in the same machine (or if you go for the iPad route then visit AudioBus forum to see alternatives)

 

[Flexinoodle]

Roland aren't releasing anything, if they were, they would have leaked hints to counteract the never ending MPC trawl on every forum that ever existed ever in the history of the planet vol II

[JHouse]

I'm reluctant to try MPC Live 'cause it's built by Numark now, right? Please correct me if I'm wrong. Plus, I've been seriously drawn to that 2500 forever, even used it as my desktop background image to embed it in my head. It wasn't till I started working with Traktor and my Z2 that I became attracted to Maschine, however, I don't stare at that machine like I do the 25 hundy ;(

[Jam Burglar]

 

phase 1: collect samples

phase 2: ???????

phase 3: profit!

I'm all over phase 1

 

 

Haha! Me too.

[Jam Burglar]

Mine goes something like this.

 

(1) Find dope shit

(2) Get all into it and make something one night that's kind of banging but a work in progress

(3) Tinker around with it for for months trying to get happy with it

(4) Maybe finish it years later

(5) Practice scratching

[danswift]

Mine goes something like this.

 

(1) Find dope shit

(2) Get all into it and make something one night that's kind of banging but a work in progress

(3) Tinker around with it for for months trying to get happy with it

(4) Maybe finish it years later

(5) Practice scratching

Best answer so far...

[joeClockwork]

Mine goes something like this.

 

(1) Find dope shit

(2) Get all into it and make something one night that's kind of banging but a work in progress

(3) Tinker around with it for for months trying to get happy with it

(4) Maybe finish it years later

(5) Practice scratching

 

That's pretty much what I was going to say minus the sarcasm, bitching and general negativity.

[Mutis Mayfield]

I'm reluctant to try MPC Live 'cause it's built by Numark now, right? Please correct me if I'm wrong. Plus, I've been seriously drawn to that 2500 forever, even used it as my desktop background image to embed it in my head. It wasn't till I started working with Traktor and my Z2 that I became attracted to Maschine, however, I don't stare at that machine like I do the 25 hundy ;(

As it seems you are more "hardware" focused workflow person I dare these will fit your needs... but these aren't my predilect gear of choice since I'm iPad based as I stated. So yes these are nukai and should prove themselves.

 

Roland aren't releasing anything, if they were, they would have leaked hints to counteract the never ending MPC trawl on every forum that ever existed ever in the history of the planet vol II

I know but dreaming is still free my friend... xD

[Flexinoodle]

The guy who started the roland rumours was completely full of shit, always has been.

[Mutis Mayfield]

The guy who started the roland rumours was completely full of shit, always has been.

I'm not expecting it from these rumour... I expect it as every namm/messe as the deception after them xD

[djdiggla]

I'd really like to know how many of you produce beats and tracks, along with their respective processes. I've constructed nice beats with FL back in the day, as well as with an MPC 500 several years ago, but never developed tracks with my own shit, just from existing loops using Acid or Cool Edit Pro.

 

So yeah, please tell me how you create.

 

 

 

 

phase 1: collect samples

phase 2: ???????

phase 3: profit!

 

Ditto. lol

 

 

For the DV stuff I listen through, sample a lot of bits I like. Used to sample it into my MPC and trim/arrange in there but then started shifting to just doing basic loops or triggering with the MPC but actually recording and arranging it in Ableton Live. Now the more I've done (mostly thanks to the DV battles) I've shifted almost exclusively to using Live. I sample in sounds or something I'm playing usually still tho,,, not done a whole lot with DAWs and stuff internal. I still really like physical devices. A lot of what I sample is my voice running through a series of efx boxes and stuff. The reason being was I don't play piano or guitar so the easiest way to make things if it wasn't sampled from records was to hum or sing it then make it not sound like my voice so that's essentially what I do.

[amatic]

 

phase 1: collect samples

phase 2: ???????

phase 3: profit!

I'm all over phase 1

 

i rarely get past phase 1.

collect samples, chop then up, smoke a joint..then fall asleep.

[Guest broke]

[danswift]

Hahaha dope !

 

'Cornwall's answer to DJ Premier'

 

Somebody ought to tell Bazza he should be doing the DV Beat Battles..

 

He'd absolutely murder the lot of us.

[joeClockwork]

 

That would be Si Spex from The Creators, I believe.